London's best cupcakes

The combination of sweet icing and fluffy sponge in an irresistibly cute package is our tea-time treat of choice. Here's our guide to the bakeries, cafes, tea rooms and coffee shops baking London's best cupcakes

© Elan Fleisher / Time Out
- Bake-a-boo
  
  86 Mill Lane, NW6 1NL (020 7435 1666/www.bake-a-boo.com).
  
  This West Hampstead tea room taps in to the girlie side of things, even paying homage to Carrie from ‘Sex and the City’ with a cupcake flavoured with vanilla, cranberry and Cointreau – the ‘Carrie’ Cosmopolitan. There are gluten- and dairy-free creations too. Read more

Bea's of Bloomsbury

44 Theobalds Rd, WC1X 8NW (020 7242 8330/www.beasofbloomsbury.com); 83 Watling St, EC4M 9BX (7242 8330).

Best known for its light buttercream frostings, such as a deliciously tart raspberry number atop rich chocolate cake. Get your fix from either the Bloomsbury original or the new branch at One New Change near St Paul’s Cathedral. Read more

Crumbs & Doilies

Partridges Fine Food Market, Duke of York Square, SW3 4LY (10am-4pm Sat/www.crumbsanddoilies.co.uk); Chocodeli, 24 Upper Tachbrook St, SW1V 1SW (9.30am-5.30pm Fri; 9am-5.30pm Sat).

This market favourite is still going strong, trading in crowd-pleasing cupcake flavours from salted caramel (made with proper Maldon sea salt) to raspberry and white chocolate. There are vegan cupcakes, too.

Hummingbird Bakery

133 Portobello Rd, W11 2DY (020 7229 6446/ www.hummingbirdbakery.com); 47 Old Brompton Rd, SW7 3JP (7851 1795); 155a Wardour St, W1F 8WG (7851 1795).

For ultimate US-style cupcakes. They tend to err on the sweet side, but the range of flavours is a big plus. Strawberry cheesecake, for example, is vanilla sponge with strawberries, cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of crushed digestive biscuits. It’s recently launched a ‘Made Without’ range, which means cupcakes made without gluten. Read more

Violet

47 Wilton Way, E8 3ED (020 7275 8360/www.violetcakes.com).

Pastry chef Clare Ptak brought her beautifully made cupcakes to Broadway Market in 2005, and finally opened her own café in increasingly trendy Wilton Way, Hackney, in 2010. The signature is a candied violet cupcake, though we’ve a soft spot for the mellow coconut milk creation. The mini bite-sized cupcakes are perfect for a spontaneous treat. Read more

Buttercup Cake Shop

16 St Alban’s Grove, W8 5BP (020 7937 1473/www.buttercupcakeshop.co.uk); 1/F (outside Habitat), Westfield London, W12 7SL (8746 0333).

US favourites such as red velvet and banana split make up a good chunk of the flavours on offer here, but there are some British concessions, too, such as Bounty bar. The main shop is in Kensington but a kiosk at Westfield London provides sweet respite in between shopping sprees.

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Peggy Porschen's!

V Thu May 26 2011
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I vote Hummingbird, found the best Red Velvet moist with sweet buttercream frosting yummmm!

Helen w Wed May 25 2011
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Everyone should try the cupcake stall in the new part of Camden market! I think it's called Mimi's Cupcakes. She makes loads of different flavours, my personal faveourite being peanut butter and chocolate :-)

Lilla Sun May 8 2011
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For me the best cupcakes I've tasted so far in London are the one from Ella's Bakehouse in Covent Garden.

Lost in London Sun Mar 27 2011
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My friend Amy is starting up her own cupcakery called YayCakes! She's fantastic, and you can find her on Facebook (cos that's where all the cool kids hang out these days.)

Rebecca Thu Mar 24 2011
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Of course, I meant to type "wedding cake" not "wedding". Sorry for any confusion.

David Blatt Fri Mar 18 2011
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I haven't seen any mention of CAT AND THE CREAM. The company was featured in last years's article and I keep going back to Whole Foods in Camden to buy their cup cakes. I've yet to taste better. I believe it's run by the young girl I met on their stall at Borough Market some time back. I can't talk about ingredients, all I can say is that they taste natural and fantastic. I even got together with a close friend and we ordered her wedding through them. That's one of their strengths, cakes "made to measure".

David Blatt Wed Mar 16 2011
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Sweet Couture have the best cupcakes I've tasted in London!!!! I had an amazing carrot and red velvet the other day from their boutique which is the CUTEST little shop i've seen.

Little miss cupcake Fri Mar 11 2011
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The best cupcakes ever are made at home in an aga with organic and locally sourced ingredients in a beautiful buckinghamshire village.....see website: www.scrummyyummycupcakes.com .........delicious, scrummy cakes I have ever bought!! :)

holly Tue Mar 8 2011
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I agree Ms Cupcakes cakes are AMAZING, really original flavours, moist! I'm not vegan either. Hummingbird cupcakes are dry, have too much icing and look like mass produced rubbish.

Charlies Mon Mar 7 2011
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London's best cupcakes

Bake-a-boo

Bea's of Bloomsbury

Crumbs & Doilies

Hummingbird Bakery

Violet

Buttercup Cake Shop

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